Police: teen shot by officer is not a suspect

Oakland Police say teenage boy who was shot in the face by an officer was not involved in an armed robbery near downtown.

Police Chief Howard Jordan said Thursday a preliminary investigation has determined that the 16-year-old and two other teenagers were not responsible for the robbery of a restaurant worker Wednesday night.

Meanwhile the teen shot said he feared for his life. His family has now hired a prominent attorney who is currently overseeing reforms stemming from the settlement of a police brutality lawsuit against the Oakland Police Department.

The teen suffered a non-life threatening gunshot wound to his jaw after the officer apparently perceived a threat, Jordan said. The chief declined to say what that threat was.

No weapons were found on Raynor or his two teenage friends, Jordan added.

"This incident is an example of intense and uncertain situation that our officers face every day," Jordan told reporters at a news conference on Thursday. "The outcome is unfortunate for all involved."

The shooting occurred after police responded to an armed robbery in the city's Old Oakland neighborhood and were given descriptions of three male suspects in their 20s, Jordan said. He said one of the men wore a black hooded sweatshirt.

Witnesses pointed officers in the direction of three people who matched those descriptions who were approaching another possible victim on a nearby street.

On Thursday, Raynor told KTVU-TV he and his friends had just finished talking with a group of girls when they were stopped by police late Wednesday night.

He said the teens had their hands up and were following instructions from an officer already on the scene when a second officer arrived, started yelling and pointed a gun at him.

"Dude just shot me," Raynor said. "It wasn't right. It wasn't fair."

The teen's father, Matt Raynor, told the station that the shooting doesn't sit well with him.

"It hurts that somebody can shoot my son in the face and nobody is saying we're really sorry about it," the father said.

The teen's attorney, John Burris, said Friday that he finds the shooting troubling and questions the officer's use of force. He said the family is considering taking legal action.